Your house isn’t going to sell if it is off the market. The holidays can be the best time to sell.

Before you take your home off the market, consider the following:

Buyers who are actively looking during the holidays are serious buyers who are much more motivated.

Buyers delberately choose to shop for a home after the busy spring and summer rush. It is easier to look, and negotiations are less stressful.

Relocating families don’t usually have a choice when they can leave for their new destination. They want to get their families settled in, before the January semester begins or to arrange for the move during spring break.

Allowing buyers to view your home during this season gives them a better picture of seeing themselves in the attractive environment you have created.

With reduced inventories and motivated buyers, you may find you have more showings at this time of year than the spring and summer season.

If you do receive an offer you can arrange the terms to suit your needs if moving during the holidays isn’t an option. Possession and closings are negotioable.

Baking, shopping, chopping and slopping. Sounds like fun. Preping for days, cooking for hours. Meal over in about an hour. Fall asleep. Complain how much you ate and you are so stuffed. Sounds like fun. Wrap, pack left overs. Clean, clean and clean again. Load the dishwasher, unload and repeat. Soak pots. Exhausted. Sounds like fun. Diet out the window. Hurry Black Friday starts in a few hours. What? Exhausted. Sounds like fun. Deals galore. Got to go. Spend money you don’t have, but it was on sale. Complain in a month when your bills arrive. But it was on sale. I blew my diet so I needed to feel better by spending money. Sounds like fun. Happy New Year. Now go join the gym that you will never visit. Sounds like fun.

It’s very important to winterize your home to prevent damage and save money on otherwise costly bills. Have your furnace and fireplace inspected. Prevent plumbing freezes by insulating exposed pipes and draining all AC pipes and garden hoses. Contact me for other “warm and cozy” ideas.

Last week was a good week in real estate. Another house was sold. The four letter word, Sold, is a fantastic word for those in the real estate industry. A sold home creates a positive domino effect.

According to the National Association of Realtors for every two homes sold, one job is created. Every time a house is built, bought, or sold, American jobs are created. www.houselogic.com/jobs

2.5 million American jobs created or maintained, in an average year of home sales. Each home purchased pumps nearly $60,000 into the economy, over time. Home ownership accounts for nearly $2 trillion of our GDP. Housing creates jobs. www.houselogic.com/jobs

Looking forward to hearing and seeing this four letter word many times in the future. Sold. Yes!

Why is it when I’m sitting around without the laptop in my lap I come up with great ideas? Then as soon as I turn the laptop on and decide to share these ideas, I just stare at the blank screen. Well I decided, I’m just going for it.

This week I met with my bunco friend, Jill Fuller, who is a chemical engineer, now domestic engineer, in the process of writing a book and starting a non-profit organization. She wanted me to check out her website and offer any suggestions. We had lunch at Applewood in Camas/Vancouver WA, which was good by way. Her website is http://www.healeveryfamilytree.com Check it out. I’m excited for her as I can relate on a personal level. Her goal is to raise enough money to assist people with certain mineral deficiencies to get the right treatment who otherwise are unable to afford it. Mineral deficiencies, believe it or not, have a lot to do with “balance” in the brain. However, that is Jill’s department for you to find out more.

Also, this week I took a class to receive knowledge and to add to my clock hours. Realtor’s (R) have to take 30 clock hours of education every two years in order to renew their license. One of the classes I decided to take was Distressed Properties: Title and Escrow Issues. Well, believe you me, there are soooo many issues when a seller or buyer decides to sell or buy a short sale and the Realtor(R) decides to represent the client. It is down right scary. The liability makes you want to run as fast as you can from short sales. If you are a buyer or seller in a distressed situation, make sure you have a Realtor(R) who is knowledgeable in short sales. I can’t stress how important that is. Also, I recommend you as the seller or buyer do your due diligence as well. Find out what the consequences are. Do your research and remember you are not the only one that is going through this sad, stressful situation.

Speaking of a sad situaiton. I came across some news today. The Jumbo Loans Set to Lower Oct 1. Starting today, many borrowers in pricey housing markets may find they’ll need a higher down payment or pay higher rates. Well thank you once again for helping out the housing market. Give me, as a Realtor (R), and the seller’s, in the pricey market a break!! Jeeze Louise. It’s always something. And, by the way, what would be the higher interest rate? They didn’t mention that in the article. Articles tend to mention the doom and gloom when it comes to the housing market and the economy, which results in fear and stagnation.

On the bright side, it is still a great time to buy. The interest rates are at an all time low. I do believe once the market turns, many people are going to look back at this time and say, shoulda, woulda, coulda. When the market does turn and it will, we won’t realize it until after the fact and then it is too late.